UPDATE: Markets Tumble More, Close To Breaking The Scott Brown Bottom

It's been a volatile day in the markets, as DC plays its final
moves before the Fiscal Cliff goes into effect.

Markets had been down for much of the morning, but had started
ticking a bit higher right around the time
people caught wind of Scott Brown's Facebook posting about Obama having sent an
offer to the GOP.

But that was quickly rebuffed by a tweet from CNBC's
John Harwood denying that The White House had sent an offer
over.

Since then there's been confusion.

Some are reporting/still expecting the White House to send over
some kind of framework idea for a last minute punt on the issue.

But markets are stuck in an ugly place in the final two hours of
the day.